TouchStone for giving (The Story of Us Trilogy) (43 page)

food between them will not be easy.

“We’re a few minutes early but they’re expecting us.” He smiles, releasing my hand.

I return his smile. “Of course they are.”

We clamber out of the helicopter and I turn back to watch the rotors slow to a stop. Obviously Sam

has his orders and will not be leaving until we are ready.

A man of around forty, wearing a pair of casual slacks and a cowboy hat greets us. “Mr. Stone, Miss

Parker, welcome to El Tovar. Everything is ready for you.”

Out of the corner of my eye I spot a lone table under a white marquee, sheltered on one side from

the prying eyes of the guests, open on the other side overlooking the Grand Canyon. Why do I think

that’s our table?

Because it is.

“Thank you. Please lead the way.” Ayden’s arm circles my waist and we head over to our table

away from the crowds, away from everything.

Our host pulls back my chair and I settle myself at the table, watching him as he shakes the ice and

dripping water from the bottle of Krug Grande Cuvée,

“Should I instruct the chef to prepare your meal, Mr. Stone?” he enquires tentatively.

“Yes. Please do.” He lifts his fluted glass to mine. “I think … we are ready to eat now?”

I snigger at the ‘we’ and nod accordingly. “That would be lovely. Thank you.”

“My pleasure Miss Parker.”

I’m bursting to say something, feeling almost giddy with excitement. “You are a sly one Ayden.

You had all this ready and waiting for us …”

He winks. “To be fair, Charlotte handled it, but it was my idea.”

He reaches out across the table and takes my hand, caressing my knuckles with his thumb. “I know

I’ve not been the best of company so far. Hopefully I’ll be able to make up for that.”

I shake my head. “I’m having the time of my life. You have nothing to apologise for.” I turn to my

right to take in the scenery. “Just look at that view!”

He does. “It’s pretty impressive, if I do say so myself.”

We laugh and our glasses chink; the sound carries in the afternoon air and before long we are eating

and laughing, and doing what lovers do: falling in love a little more with every minute that passes.

Like the rocks precariously perched on this Eastern Rim, I’m falling; so far and so deep, I may

never make my way out it. If this love of ours should end, my world would crumble, I would turn to

dust and I’d be forever lost to the wind.

As discretely as humanly possible, he’s checking his watch; I can guess why. On the other side of

the world, wheels are turning and he’s here with me shooting the breeze, watching clouds cast super-

sized silhouettes across rock faces whilst condors circle overhead.

“Shouldn’t we think about getting back? It must be almost three o’clock.”

“If you want to. I’ll call Sam and tell him we’re ready.” He stands to leave as if he’s been waiting

for my cue all along. “Let’s take a stroll over here and take a closer look.”

He reaches out for my hand and we stroll across the lawn towards a small stone wall, edging ever

closer to the mammoth sight. It’s even more impressive close-up.

“Wow!” Is all I can think to say.

“Wow indeed!” Ayden turns me round to face him. We are eye to eye. He brushes the backs of his

fingers against my face and I lean into his hand, welcoming his caress. “Do you remember when I

proposed?”

I can’t help but smile. “Yes. How could I forget?”

He’s grinning like my sweet boy. “I did make a mess of it, didn’t I? What with all the questions and

the finalising.”

“You came good at the end with this.” I hold up my stunning engagement ring. “Look how it

sparkles Ayden. The heart is stunning, just like you.”

“Well … if you say so, then it must be true.” He strokes my head, catching strands of hair caught in

the breeze. “I want you to close your eyes.”

“Why?”

He rolls his eyes. “Please. Just this once …”

I close my eyes, unsure of what is about to happen. From somewhere he finds two small ear plugs

and places them into my ears.

“Feel okay?”

“Yes.”

“Turn around to your right but don’t open your eyes. Trust me.”

“I do.” I inch around to my right, knowing I’m facing the enormous chasm of rock and stone. Music

begins and I recognise it instantly. My face relaxes and a smile forms slowly, unselfconsciously. It’s

Snow Patrol singing
Say Yes.
What is he doing?

“Now, open your eyes.”

I turn to him. He arches his brows and cocks his head to his left, directing my eyes to the Canyon. I

turn and see it … Without warning my mouth opens and forms that little O shape. Across the sky in

joined-up writing are two words …

Marry me

I have his proposal in my head and in my sight, and all I can think to do is weep. There are no

words for moments like this … only emotion. I fall backward onto him, feeling my arms being lifted.

He takes me back to the London Eye, Hyde Park, Rome … Has there ever been a moment more Titanic

than this? I turn around and wrap my arms around him, making a secret promise to never let go.

Entwined, we watch the letters fray and turn into misshapen clouds that merge into the bright blue

sky. I have my perfect proposal and he has my heart. It’s a fair exchange.

Once the emotion has dissipated, I pull away. He hands me a handkerchief from his pocket and I

blow my nose into it in a most undignified way. I pat the corners of my eyes and expel stagnant air

from my lungs.

I look up and into his expectant eyes; they have taken on a cerulean radiance in the afternoon light

and are sparkling with colour and love.

“You planned this from the moment you got up this morning, didn’t you?” I take his face in my

hands, framing his striking features with my nimble fingers.

He nods.

I bite my lip and use the pain to hold back tears. “You didn’t have to. I already said yes. Nothing’s

changed.”

He leans his forehead onto mine. “Yes, it has Beth. Everything’s changed. We’ve both changed. I

hardly recognise myself and it’s all down to you.”

“You’d better stop or you’re going to set me off again.”

He laughs quietly and catches a tear from the corner of my eye. “So, what’s your answer?”

Does he even have to ask?

“You pull a stunt like that, have me sobbing like a crazy woman and want to know my answer!”

He tips his head to the left and waits.

“This is the Grand Canyon Ayden, that was a grand gesture, the most grandest …” Now he’s

laughing at me. Why can’t I string a coherent sentence together? “Alright. I, Frances Elizabeth Parker,

will marry you Ayden Stone …”

“When?”

Pardon?

“When?”

“Yes. When?”

“Whenever?”

“What about tomorrow?” He’s giving me his ‘gotcha’ smile.

“Are you serious?”

“Totally.” He takes the handkerchief and dabs around my eyes. I must look a wreck.

“I don’t think you can turn up at a wedding chapel and simply say, ‘Hello, can you marry us

please?’ These things need to be planned in advance, organised, licences bought and …” Why has he

taken a step back, folded his arms? And why is he smiling as if he knows something I don’t?

What has he done?

“Why the look?”

He’s shrugging his shoulders and checking his watch.

“Don’t tell me you’ve arranged something?”

“I might have.” He’s taking my hand and leading me back towards the lodge.

“Where are we going?”

“To freshen up.”

I try to match his stride. “Why do we need to freshen up? What’s happening?” I stop abruptly,

pulling on his arm until he’s stationary. “I’m not moving an inch until you tell me.”

He sighs deeply. “On the off chance you would agree to it, I have arranged for us to be married

tomorrow in Vegas. You can say no or you can say yes. It’s entirely up to you. I just thought as we are

here … when in Vegas …”

“Just because people are in Vegas Ayden, doesn’t mean they have to get married. Some people

come to see the shows and to gamble.”

“We can do that as well if you like. I quite like a game of Blackjack.” Now he’s smirking.

“Stop! Stop with the teasing. I’m serious.” I’m shaking my head. “I don’t have a dress or anything

…”

“We can get you a dress. That’s not a problem.”

“I know it’s not a problem, not for you, it isn’t. It’s just …”

He slides a hand under my chin and cups my face. “Look, it’s okay. We don’t have to do it if you

don’t want to.”

“I want to … it’s …”

“Yes?”

“It’s just …”

“It’s just what?”

“It’s the suddenness of it all. I need to catch my breath, to take it all in. I …” I’m lost for words.

“I know baby. It’s impulsive and a little rash but, what the fuck …” He lifts me three feet off the

ground and spins me round and around, whirling, twirling, until I am almost dizzy. I close my eyes

and I’m taken back to a time and place from long ago; I’m a small girl again, I’m giggling and feeling

the breeze on my face …

When my feet rediscover terra firma I’m lightheaded and shocked, so bemused by his behaviour I

can barely speak. “You’ve lost your mind Ayden.” I hold onto his arms for support. “What’s got into

you?”

“I’m in love.” Tightly, showing little self-control, he grips my shoulders, anchoring me in place.

With piercing eyes as green as the deepest ocean, he holds me spellbound. “I’m in love with you. I

want you to have my name. I want to spend today, tomorrow and every day after that with
you.
I have

no choice. When you find who you've been looking for, you take hold of them with both hands. Letting

them go is not an option.” His words are spoken emphatically as if they’re a universal truth. “This

love we have is undeniable, irrefutable. I know it. You know it. We belong together Beth. Can I make

it any clearer for you?”

I hear
my
words as they leave his lips; they reach down into that once frozen lake in me, breaking

through years of frost and ice. He’s deadly serious. “No. You can’t Ayden. Everything you’ve said is

true.”

“So …”

How could I not respond to a smile like that? “So … let’s get married, but … on one condition.”

“And that is?” He prepares himself for an ultimatum.

“I get to choose the dress.”

He throws back his head and laughs raucously, oblivious of the audience of tourists and hotel staff

gathering on the rear porch. Enraptured, he takes my hand and together we move as one, striding out

towards the lodge where our appreciative spectators are now standing and applauding. I hardly know

where to put myself. It’s too late to turn tail and bolt, so it’s a case of keeping my head down and

brazening it out.

Uncharacteristically, Ayden responds to the cheers and the pats on his back by exclaiming, “Thank

you, thank you. That’s very kind of you. Thank you.” Me, I’m happy to keep moving. My only interest

is finding the ladies powder room, checking my face and psyching myself up for the return journey.

After all, I have a wedding to prepare for.

The inbound flight to the Vegas airstrip seemed so much quicker than the outbound. The scenery

was no less dramatic and the experience nothing short of life-changing, but somewhere along that

tapering stretch of blue I ran out of reasons to
not
become Mrs. Stone. Perhaps it was the way I caught

him watching me, as our flying machine bobbed and weaved its way between enormous ginger

coloured craters, or swerved left then right to hover over extinct volcanoes and craters the size of

small towns? Could it have been the look of amusement and love that emanated from those glistening

orbs of his that captured my heart and claimed it outright? It was all that and so much more. I thank

my lucky stars for the gift of divine providence.

Jane Austen’s words come to mind: “
If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.”

I
sit in silence …

16

Once
inside the hotel I become aware of two suited gentlemen to our rear. As we move through the

crowd of guests, they move with us. Once inside the lift a suited arm is thrust between the closing

door and in they step. I look to Ayden but he appears oblivious. I know him better than that. He must

have noticed them, surely.

Our stunning suite is immersed in sunlight; the air con has kept the room nicely chilled and there’s

a welcoming fragrance of freesias or roses wafting through every room. It’s only 4pm but it feels

much later; maybe it’s the jet lag catching up with me.

Ayden lifts two bottles of iced water from the fridge and fills two tall glasses. “Here, you must be

thirsty after all that dusty air.”

He’s right. I am. “Thanks.” The first half a dozen gulps ease down my throat in a rush, ridding my

lips and gums of any residual canyon dust. I flop down onto the sofa. “Wow! A ride in a helicopter,

one of the eight wonders of the world and a proposal all in one day. How will you ever top that?”

“Not sure I can.” He grins and holds up his glass to toast his achievement.

I change the subject quickly. “Did you notice the two guys in the foyer?”